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Dynasty Warriors (series)
Dynasty Warriors (三國無双, Sangoku Musou or 真・三國無双, Shin Sangoku Musou) is a series of Hack-n-slash action games started by Koei and created by Omega Force. It draws inspiration from the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which entails the epic struggle of power between three kingdoms in ancient China. Before the first game was conceived, Omega Force members were originally planning on making a brand new action game completely unrelated to history. However, since many of Koei's employees are fans of the Three Kingdoms era, the concept of a Three Kingdoms action game was unconsciously made by the team. There were talks over whether they should develop the game in-house or pitch to another developer, but Omega Force won out. When the developers wanted to port the fighting game to the PlayStation 2, they had second thoughts due to the fighting game boom at the time. To make themselves stand out, they envisioned a battlefield scenario and focused on the prospect of the player working with a team to fight against several opponents at once. After they decided to incorporate more elements from the Three Kingdoms era, it eventually became the hack-and-slash hit that it's known for today. To establish a distinct difference between the first game, the word "true" (真, shin) was inserted for the second title. Hence, the Japanese title for Dynasty Warriors 3 is actually Shin Sangoku Musou 2 and so on. Omega Force considers the Shin titles as the true start of the brand. Any series anniversary that they celebrate will be based on Dynasty Warriors 2's sales date. Though listed under the action game genre, creators strove to make the series a "fusion of real time strategy and action". Eventually, the series's appeal was allowing the player to be a "one man army" versus the thousands of enemies in ancient China. Kou Shibusawa states that it was his personal desire to capture the excitement and thrill felt by the events in the novel. The series started its own type of genre. In the east, games similar to it are referred to as the Musou franchise. The English equivalent for the same term is Warriors series. Keeping in touch with the core ideas of its fighting game counterpart, the Dynasty Warriors series is designed to always be inviting to beginners to either the series or the action genre. The new features that are added into the series strive to never be too complicated, hoping to add another entertaining aspect for every type of fan of the Warriors games. A recent Dengeki PlayStation interview reveals that the development team look at other Three Kingdoms period media frequently in between designing each entry. They also don't have a formal team of historical researchers like the ones seen in Koei's historical simulation titles. However, developers do rely on other novels, books and movies they have personally read or seen. A particular individual in the Omega Force team also knows the time era "like the back of their hand". Whenever they ask the person questions, he/she can correctly identify a particular place, person, or battle on the spot. The mechanics set in this series help influence game play elements in Koei's other titles, some of which include the Samurai Warriors and Dynasty Warriors: Gundam series, Kessen III, and Bladestorm: The Hundred Years' War. Both the Dynasty Warriors and Samurai Warriors series crossover in the Warriors Orochi series. Characters The three kingdoms struggling in each game are Wei, Wu, and Shu but the series also adds characters from miscellaneous, unaffiliated factions into the mix. These characters are labeled as "Other". Lastly, guest characters were added in the original Dynasty Warriors, and Dynasty Warriors 3. Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce 2 includes several characters who didn't exist during the Three Kingdoms period. Dynasty Warriors 7 adds Jin to the games. Characters are color coded by default to match the particular faction they serve. When told by a fan that the idea should be abandoned and to be more liberal like Samurai Warriors, the series producer defended the color choices since they serve as an easy method for distinguishing characters and their alignments. He would rather these tints serve as a political symbol of sorts than a completely driven aesthetic choice. Shu Zhao Yun 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhao Yun'|link=Zhao Yun Guan Yu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guan Yu'|link=Guan Yu Zhang Fei 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang Fei'|link=Zhang Fei Zhuge Liang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhuge Liang'|link=Zhuge Liang Liu Bei 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Liu Bei'|link=Liu Bei Ma Chao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Ma Chao'|link=Ma Chao Huang Zhong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Huang Zhong'|link=Huang Zhong Jiang Wei 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Jiang Wei'|link=Jiang Wei Wei Yan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Wei Yan'|link=Wei Yan Pang Tong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Pang Tong'|link=Pang Tong Yueying 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Yueying'|link=Yueying Guan Ping 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guan Ping'|link=Guan Ping Xingcai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xingcai'|link=Xingcai Liu Shan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Liu Shan'|link=Liu Shan Ma Dai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Ma Dai'|link=Ma Dai Guan Suo 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guan Suo'|link=Guan Suo Bao Sanniang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Bao Sanniang'|link=Bao Sanniang Xu Shu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xu Shu'|link=Xu Shu Zhang Bao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang Bao'|link=Zhang Bao (Shu) Guan Xing 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guan Xing'|link=Guan Xing Guan Yinping 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guan Yinping'|link=Guan Yinping Fa Zheng 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Fa Zheng'|link=Fa Zheng Wei Xiahou Dun 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xiahou Dun'|link=Xiahou Dun Dian Wei 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Dian Wei'|link=Dian Wei Xu Zhu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xu Zhu'|link=Xu Zhu Cao Cao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Cao Cao'|link=Cao Cao Xiahou Yuan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xiahou Yuan'|link=Xiahou Yuan Zhang Liao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang Liao'|link=Zhang Liao Xu Huang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xu Huang'|link=Xu Huang Zhang He 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang He'|link=Zhang He Zhenji 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhenji'|link=Zhenji Cao Ren 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Cao Ren'|link=Cao Ren Cao Pi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Cao Pi'|link=Cao Pi Pang De 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Pang De'|link=Pang De Cai Wenji 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Cai Wenji'|link=Cai Wenji Jia Xu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Jia Xu'|link=Jia Xu Wang Yi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Wang Yi'|link=Wang Yi Guo Jia 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guo Jia'|link=Guo Jia Yue Jin 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Yue Jin'|link=Yue Jin Li Dian 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Li Dian'|link=Li Dian Yu Jin 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Yu Jin'|link=Yu Jin Xun Yu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xun Yu'|link=Xun Yu Wu Zhou Yu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhou Yu'|link=Zhou Yu Lu Xun 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lu Xun'|link=Lu Xun Taishi Ci 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Taishi Ci'|link=Taishi Ci Sun Shangxiang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sun Shangxiang'|link=Sun Shangxiang Sun Jian 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sun Jian'|link=Sun Jian Sun Quan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sun Quan'|link=Sun Quan Lu Meng 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lu Meng'|link=Lu Meng Gan Ning 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Gan Ning'|link=Gan Ning Huang Gai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Huang Gai'|link=Huang Gai Sun Ce 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sun Ce'|link=Sun Ce Daqiao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Daqiao'|link=Daqiao Xiaoqiao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xiaoqiao'|link=Xiaoqiao Zhou Tai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhou Tai'|link=Zhou Tai Ling Tong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Ling Tong'|link=Ling Tong Ding Feng 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Ding Feng'|link=Ding Feng Lianshi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lianshi'|link=Lianshi Lu Su 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lu Su'|link=Lu Su Han Dang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Han Dang'|link=Han Dang Zhu Ran 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhu Ran'|link=Zhu Ran Jin Sima Yi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sima Yi'|link=Sima Yi Sima Shi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sima Shi'|link=Sima Shi Sima Zhao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Sima Zhao'|link=Sima Zhao Deng Ai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Deng Ai'|link=Deng Ai Wang Yuanji 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Wang Yuanji'|link=Wang Yuanji Zhong Hui 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhong Hui'|link=Zhong Hui Zhuge Dan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhuge Dan'|link=Zhuge Dan Xiahou Ba 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Xiahou Ba'|link=Xiahou Ba Guo Huai 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Guo Huai‎‎'|link=Guo Huai Jia Chong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Jia Chong'|link=Jia Chong Wen Yang 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Wen Yang'|link=Wen Yang Zhang Chunhua 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang Chunhua‎‎'|link=Zhang Chunhua‎‎ Other Diaochan 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Diaochan'|link=Diaochan Lu Bu 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lu Bu'|link=Lu Bu Dong Zhuo 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Dong Zhuo'|link=Dong Zhuo Yuan Shao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Yuan Shao'|link=Yuan Shao Zhang Jiao 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhang Jiao'|link=Zhang Jiao Meng Huo 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Meng Huo'|link=Meng Huo Zhurong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zhurong'|link=Zhurong Zuo Ci 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Zuo Ci'|link=Zuo Ci Chen Gong 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Chen Gong'|link=Chen Gong Lu Lingqi 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lu Lingqi'|link=Lu Lingqi Lei Bin 15th Anniversary Artwork (DWEKD).jpg|'Lei Bin'|link=Lei Bin 052 Fu Xi.png|'Fu Xi'|link=Fu Xi 053 Nu Wa.png|'Nuwa'|link=Nuwa 051 Sanzang Fashi.png|'Sanzang'|link=Sanzang 050 Sun Wukong.png|'Sun Wukong'|link=Sun Wukong 046 Xiang Yu.png|'Xiang Yu'|link=Xiang Yu 048 Yu Meiren.png|'Beauty Yu'|link=Beauty Yu 049 Xi Wang Mu.png|'Xi Wangmu'|link=Xi Wangmu 047 Mu Wang.png|'King Mu'|link=King Mu Original Characters *Phoenix, Dragon, and Chimera (Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle) *Cao Wenming (Dynasty Warriors Online) *Xiahou Bang (Dynasty Warriors Online) *Sima Ken (Dynasty Warriors Online) *Simaji (Shin Sangoku Musou Online Z) *Lixia (Eiketsuden) Guest Characters *Nobunaga (Dynasty Warriors) *Tokichi (Dynasty Warriors) *''Samurai Warriors'' cast (Dynasty Warriors PSP) *''Samurai Warriors 2'' cast (Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2) *Orochi (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Da Ji (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Kiyomori Taira (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Taigong Wang (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Ryu Hayabusa (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Ayane (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Momiji (Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce) *Yukimura Sanada (Shin Sangoku Musou VS) *Mitsunari Ishida (Shin Sangoku Musou VS) *Kanetsugu Naoe (Shin Sangoku Musou VS) Unique Non-Playable Characters Uniquely designed non-playable characters only. *Sima Hui (Dynasty Warriors 5) *Emperor Xian (Dynasty Warriors 6) *Shi Huangdi (Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid 2) *Sima Yan (Dynasty Warriors 7) *Cao Mao (Dynasty Warriors 7) *Huche'er (Dynasty Warriors 7) *King Wutugu (Dynasty Warriors 8) Games *''Dynasty Warriors'' *''Dynasty Warriors 2'' *''Dynasty Warriors 3'' *''Dynasty Warriors 3: Xtreme Legends'' *''Dynasty Warriors 4'' *''Dynasty Warriors 4: Xtreme Legends'' *''Dynasty Warriors 4: Empires'' *''Dynasty Warriors (PSP)'' *''Dynasty Warriors 5'' *''Dynasty Warriors Advance'' *''Dynasty Warriors 5: Xtreme Legends'' *''Dynasty Warriors 5: Empires'' *''Dynasty Warriors Vol. 2'' *''Dynasty Warriors Mahjong'' *''Dynasty Warriors DS: Fighter's Battle'' *''Dynasty Warriors Online (BB)'' *''Dynasty Warriors 6'' *''Dynasty Warriors 6: Special'' *''Dynasty Warriors: Strikeforce'' *''Dynasty Warriors 6: Empires'' *''Shin Sangoku Musou Multi Raid 2'' *''Dynasty Warriors 7'' *''Dynasty Warriors 7: Special'' *''Dynasty Warriors 7: Xtreme Legends'' *''Dynasty Warriors Next'' *''Shin Sangoku Musou VS'' *''Dynasty Warriors 7: Empires'' *''Dynasty Warriors 8'' *''Dynasty Warriors 8: Xtreme Legends'' *''Dynasty Warriors 8: Empires'' *''100man-nin no Shin Sangoku Musou'' by GREE *''Shin Sangoku Musou SLASH'' by GREE *''Shin Sangoku Musou SLASH PLUS'' *''Shin Sangoku Musou Blast'' *''Dynasty Warriors: Godseekers'' *''Dynasty Warriors: Blazing Battles'' by Perfect World *''Dynasty Warriors: Unleashed'' by Nexon *''Pachislot Shin Sangoku Musou'' by Fields *''Shin Sangoku Musou'' by Heiwa *''CR Shin Sangoku Musou'' by SanThree *''CR Shin Sangoku Musou Moushouden'' by SanThree Related Media Koei published a twelve volume fanbook series titled Dynasty Warriors Communication (真・三國無双通信, Shin Sangoku Musou Tsushin). It contained information about the developers, gag comics, official illustrations, and fun tidbits for fans. When Samurai Warriors came out, the two franchises shared a similar publication titled Musou Fan Field (無双FanField). A miniature novel series for the Romance of the Three Kingdoms was also included. Two drama CDs based on Dynasty Warriors 4 were made surrounding the battles at Chi Bi and He Fei. Gamecity also published a light novel dramatizing the CD's events. A free sample of the light novel can be read in Japanese here. To celebrate their series's tenth anniversary, a cohesive character illustration book was released to include all characters and their iterations within this series. It states to include up until the sixth title, but the Strikeforce characters are also included in the book. Kabaya published trading cards with character illustrations found throughout the series. A Dynasty Warriors themed PSP protective pouch was also created by Koei in 2006. Cygame's Sangokushi Puzzle Taisen is hosting a [http://sangokushi-puzzle.jp/post-9198/ Dynasty Warriors collaboration] December 2~16, 2014. Registered players can earn/purchase Dynasty Warriors characters in a series of events for the campaign. See Also Downloadable content for these games can be found in the DLC category. *''Romance of the Three Kingdoms (series)'' *''Dynasty Tactics'' *''Kessen II'' External Links *Official series portal, Official Twitter *Koei-Tecmo's series 10th Anniversary site *Japanese Playstation interview with an Omega Force founder and developer Kenichi Ogasawara Gallery Dynasty Warriors Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors Dynasty Warriors 2 Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 2 Dynasty Warriors 3 Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 3 Dynasty Warriors 4 Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 4 Dynasty Warriors 5 Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 5 Dynasty Warriors 6 Case.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 6 DW7_Cover.png|Dynasty Warriors 7 DW8 US Cover.jpg|Dynasty Warriors 8 Category:Game Series